NCAA Initial Eligibility

Initial Eligibility
No matter which school you choose to attend you will have to meet
two different standards of eligibility, the NCAA standard for
eligibility to compete (initial eligibility) and the campus
standard for admission.

Current NCAA Standards for Initial
Eligibility
"Initial Eligibility" is the first time a student-athlete is
certified as eligible to compete for an SHU athletic team. The
following freshman initial eligibility requirements must be met:

Graduated from high school.

Successfully completed the required core curriculum in high
school.

Earned the minimum required GPA in the core curriculum (See
Table)

Earned the minimum required SAT or ACT test score. (See Table)

The NCAA Clearinghouse determines whether an athlete has met the
above requirements. The Clearinghouse determines whether each
prospect is one of the following:

A qualifier (eligible to compete immediately at an NCAA
school).

A nonqualifier (eligible to compete after an athlete has
attended an NCAA school for one year)

Qualifier
A qualifier is one who has met the following three requirements:

Graduated from high school (proof of graduation must be sent to
the Clearinghouse).

3. Have the proper combination of GPA and Standardized Test
score. The student must achieve a minimum cumulative grade-point
average (based on a maximum 4.000) in the core courses listed above
that corresponds with the following test scores:

Initial Eligibility Index

CORE GPA

SAT

ACT SUM

3.550 & ABOVE

400

37

3.525

410

38

3.500

420

39

3.475

430

40

3.450

440

41

3.425

450

41

3.400

460

42

3.375

470

42

3.350

480

43

3.325

490

44

3.300

500

44

3.275

510

45

3.250

520

46

3.225

530

46

3.200

540

47

3.175

550

47

3.150

560

48

3.125

570

49

3.100

580

49

3.075

590

50

3.050

600

50

3.025

610

51

3.000

620

52

2.975

630

52

2.950

640

53

2.925

650

53

2.900

660

54

2.875

670

55

2.850

680

56

2.825

690

56

2.800

700

57

2.775

710

58

2.750

720

59

2.725

730

59

2.700

730

60

2.675

740-750

61

2.650

760

62

2.625

770

63

2.600

780

64

2.575

790

65

2.550

800

66

2.525

810

67

2.500

820

68

2.475

830

69

2.450

840-850

70

2.425

860

70

2.400

860

71

2.375

870

72

2.350

880

73

2.325

890

74

2.300

900

75

2.275

910

76

2.250

920

77

2.225

930

78

2.200

940

79

2.175

950

80

2.150

960

80

2.125

960

81

2.100

970

82

2.075

980

83

2.050

990

84

2.025

1000

85

2.000

1010

86

The record of the above courses and course grades must be
certified by the NCAA Initial Eligibility Center using official
transcripts forwarded to the Clearinghouse from the prospect's high
school. A prospect must also present a corresponding GPA &
SAT/ACT score. This requirement is used along with the GPA from the
prospect's Core Course requirement to establish an index for
Initial Eligibility. A prospect is a Qualifier if he or she meets
the above Initial-Eligibility Index.

NonQualifier
A nonqualifier is a prospective student-athlete (prospect) who has
not graduated from high school, or does not meet the definition of
either a Qualifier or Partial Qualifier. A nonqualifier who is an
entering freshman is not eligible for regular season athletic
competition or practice during their first academic year in
residence.

Clearinghouse Form
A Prospective Student-Athlete (prospect) must be certified by the
NCAA Initial Eligibility Center to participate for Sacred Heart
University as a Freshman Student-Athlete. The Clearinghouse ensures
consistent interpretation of NCAA initial-eligibility requirements
for all prospects at all member institutions.

Your Responsibility

Meet with your Guidance Office to insure that your High School
Form 48H has been updated and approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse in
the past year.

Meet with your Guidance Office to insure that the courses you
are currently enrolled in as well as past courses you have taken
meet the definition of a "core course".

Meet with your Guidance Office to insure that you have enrolled
in at least 16 core courses throughout your studies.

Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. You may obtain the
Clearinghouse material from your High School Guidance Office, or
from the coach who is recruiting you from SHU.

Complete and Sign the Student-Release form.

Insure that all of your high school transcripts are sent to the
Clearinghouse, to include all high schools you may have attended,
and most important, your final high school transcript are sent to
the Clearinghouse, to include all high schools you may have
attended, and most important, your final high school transcript
showing proof of graduation.

Insure that your SAT/ACT scores are sent to the Clearinghouse.
Once all your materials have been submitted to the Clearinghouse
the NCAA will determine whether you are eligible to compete at NCAA
schools. The Clearinghouse will send you a written notice of your
status. Do not assume that you are eligible. Follow up with the
Clearinghouse to obtain the written notice of your final
certification. For information on contacting the Clearinghouse and
other eligibility issues visit www.ncaa.org/eligibility/

Note: On the Clearinghouse form there is a checkbox for students
with disabilities to receive a packet of information as well as
forms to be used to take advantage of the accommodations provided
for such students.

Waiver Requirements
Waivers of the initial-eligibility requirements may be granted
based on evidence that demonstrates circumstances in which your
overall academic record warrants a waiver. All requests for such
waivers must be initiated through the NCAA school that officially
has accepted you for enrollment as a regular student or if
acceptance is contingent on a favorable subcommittee decision. You
should contact the school recruiting you for more information about
this waiver process. Students with learning disabilities may
initiate the initial-eligibility waiver process on their own
without the help of a member institution. You can contact the NCAA
national office for more information.

An exception also may be granted if you left high school after
completion of your junior year or during you senior year to enter a
Division I or II school under an early admissions program on the
basis of outstanding academic performance and promise. To be
granted this exception, you must have maintained an accumulative
3.500 G.P.A. and must have ranked in the top 20 percent of your
class for the last four semesters completed in high school. In
addition, all requirements of a qualifier (core curriculum and test
scores) must be met except graduation from high school and a fourth
year of English.

Prospects with Disabilities
Prospective Student-Athletes with disabilities can take advantage
of specific accommodations to attain initial eligibility at NCAA
Division I Institutions. In order to do this Sacred Heart
University must be provided with:

A copy of the most recent (within the last three years) signed,
professional evaluation report of the prospect's disability,
including diagnostic test results.

A copy of the prospects current individualized education plan
(IEP), individual transition plan (ITP), 504 plan or other
statement relating to accommodations received as a student with a
disability.

Obtain a packet of information from NCAA by checking the
appropriate box on the clearinghouse registration form or
contacting the NCAA Disabilities services at the address below.

Or Log onto www.ncaa.org,
click "site index", and go to the section entitled "Students with
Disabilities".

Nonstandard Test for Students With
Disabilities
Prospects with disabilities may use a nonstandard test score to
meet the ACT or SAT requirements for Initial Eligibility. There are
several requirements for the acceptance of a nonstandard test.

Prospects must register for nonstandard tests directly with the
testing service.

Prospects must provide documentation to the testing service
that a professional has diagnosed and properly documented the
disability within the last three years.

The individual(s) administering the test may not be a member of
the prospect's secondary school athletic department or an NCAA
College or university athletics department, unless the test is
taken at a national test site.

Note: a prospect with a disability does not have to take the
nonstandard test on a national testing date.

Core Courses for Students with Disabilities
All prospects, including prospects with disabilities, must show
that they have met a certain GPA in 13 core courses in specific
subjects to be certified for Initial Eligibility (see table above).

Acceptable NCAA Core Courses for Prospect with
Disabilities Must Meet the Following

A course for a prospect with a disability must meet a
graduation requirement in an academic subject to be accepted as an
NCAA core course.

A course for a prospect with a disability must be substantially
comparable, qualitatively and quantitatively, to a regular course
offered in that academic area.

The comparable course must be listed on the high school's list
of NCAA approved core courses as an approved core course.

Courses for students with disabilities that are approved for
use in meeting core course requirements will be listed on the high
school's list of approved core courses from the clearinghouse.

A prospect with a disability (other than panic/anxiety
disorder) is allowed to use all core courses completed before
initial full-time enrollment at a college or university. For
example a prospect with a disability may use courses taken after
graduating from high school (summer courses as well as prep-school
courses) prior to full-time enrollment.

Waiver Procedures for Prospects with a
Disability

If a prospect with a disability is not considered a qualifier,
he or she may be able to get a waiver of Initial Eligibility
Standards. The prospect should ask the school to which they plan to
attend to file a waiver request on their behalf. You will need to
forward the following to the institution:

A written copy of the high school's policy and curriculum guide
for students with disabilities and documentation listing all
accommodations available at the high school, plus a list of which
accommodations were used by the prospect.

A completed documentation of the prospect disability if the
prospect has not already documented such with the NCAA including:

Written diagnosis, including IEP, ITP, 504 Plan or other
statement relating to accommodations received as a student with a
disability. (Diagnosis should indicate the specific measure and
application of the diagnosis).

Name and location of the person issuing the diagnosis, his or
her professional credentials and, if applicable, relationship to
the athletics department at the college or university submitting
the waiver.

The date (s) of the diagnosis. (Not more than 3 years old)

Copy of the prospect's final high school transcript(s) from all
high schools attended by the prospect.

Copy of the final 48-C from the Clearinghouse.

If a core-course waiver is requested, additional information
may be requested.